Yvon Neptune reportedly will be forced into exile
by Marguerite Laurent
May 1, 2005Yvon Neptune reportedly will be forced into exile by Marguerite Laurent, May 1, 2005
If Prime Minister Yvon Neptune is flown out of Haiti, without his liberation orders and unconditional released having been signed by a Haitian judge, he wants the world to know he did not leave Haiti willingly - that he was forced into exile. It was simply another kidnapping.
According to an AP article, written by Ariana Cubillos, dated today May 1, 2005, a Western diplomat who spoke on conditions of anonymity reported that Prime Minister Yvon Neptune is flying into exile. Meanwhile, Radio Kiskeya reported that Neptune already had been flown out late Saturday after doctors said a hunger strike had left him near death."
The same AP article reports "An official at Port-au-Prince's international airport said they were on standby for the event but had not yet received confirmation from officials in Haiti's interim government, who could not be reached for comment."
Yvon Neptune is too weak to speaka for himself right now. He is critically ill from the hunger strike resume on April 17 and literally cannot speak. His family fears his death is imminent.
We, at the Haitian Lawyers Leadership spoke to Yvon Neptune's family and friends in Haiti just minutes ago to get confirmation of this report of "going into exitle" and one and all maintain that 1) Yvon Neptune is still in prison in Haiti 2) He has not been told anything about going into immediate exile for humanitarian purposes and 3) He would never agree to do so. Thus, if Neptune is flown out of Haiti, he would not be doing so willingly. Again, Mr. Neptune's family stresses that Yvon Neptune would never go into exile; that he has repeatedly maintained this position: That he is an innocent man, wrongfully accused of a massacre that the UN, the international press and reputable human rights organization say did not happen. Additionally, this information we can personally corroborate because Prime Minister Neptune, told Marguerite Laurent, in early March, 2005, when we visited him at the prison, that he only wishes to live as a free and innocent man in Haiti and for the interim government to stop persecuting him and guarantee his safety. Yvon Neptune's position explained to Congresswoman Waters and us at HLLN, when we visited him on March 7, 2005 has not changed. He does not wish to go to exile, or to leave Haiti as a marked criminal. He has spent ten (10) months in the miserable, horrific Latortue jail in Haiti without being charged or seeing a judge with his lawyer present.
Again, The AP report above cited is wrong. Yvon Neptune is still in Haiti. He is critically ill because of the hunger strike and his family fear he will not live much longer.
However, they stress that the only thing that would legitimately put Neptune out of prison is a liberation order. That he will not leave prison unless a judge has signed his liberation order and acknowledged his innocence of all crimes. If, Neptune is flown to the Dominican Republic, or anywhere else, as reported by AP, for any purposes whatsoever, and a liberation order acknowledging his wrongful incarceration has not been signed, then Prime Minister Neptune, through his family, wants the world to know, he was forced to leave, that he was kidnapped out of Haiti against his will and sent to exile in the same fashion as President Aristide; in the same fashion, as when the authorities, last Friday on April 22, 2005, had forced him, without his lawyer, to go to St. Marc where even the judge did not know he was coming and reportedly refused to see him. (See below, Green Left Weekly article by Alison Dellit - "Former PM on hunger stike")
If Neptune is flown out of Haiti today or at any other time without a complete exoneration already signed, then he wants the world to know he was forced to leave Haiti by the UN/US/Canada/France and their Latortue-supported death regime against his will. (See also Letter From Yvon Neptune from Jail dated April 20, 2005)
"The hunger strike I began on February 20 was aimed at forcing the government to set me free and to stop being the cause of my insecurity.
Because of a promise the government had made that it was going to liberate me, I agreed to put an end to my hunger strike and to go to the Argentine Hospital under the jurisdiction of the MINUSTAH/United Nations."
Right now, in the room of Yvon Neptune, we have been told a group of Argentanian doctors have entered Neptune rooms and we are being told, via telephone, that they want to give him a "serum" to force him out of the prison. He is screaming, in only the whisper that he is capable of uttering: NO, NO, NO. I've given no one authorization to sent me into exile. I will die with my dignity or be set free from this prison without conditions."
Marguerite Laurent, Esq. Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network May 1, 2005
For more Background Information go to: http://www.margueritelaurent.com/campaigns/campaignone/presswork/neptune.html
Please write letters denouncing this other kidnapping before it is COMPLETED and demand the immediate and unconditional release from prison of Prime Minister Yvon Neptune and all the political prisoners in Haiti.
Sign the petition demanding release of Yvon Neptune at:
http://www.haitiechange.org/avis.htm
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